The announcement of fundamental reform to professional and technical education has been reported by some as a further erosion of colleges. Combined with an area review process that will result in fewer but “more resilient” colleges, and an apprenticeship levy that puts employers in the driving seat, one could be forgiven for thinking that this government doesn’t like FE. That certainly appears to be the view among some senior leaders.
I have a different opinion. Colleges are undoubtedly well-regarded within their communities, are well-connected with employers and provide essential skills that enable local regeneration. The questions we should be asking are why this doesn’t translate at the highest level, and how do we make our case more clearly with government? Are we being treated like the naughty child because we sometimes sulk and moan?
It’s clear that the colleges that emerge from the current reforms will look very different from those we have now. We are likely to be more specialist, patterns of delivery will be less traditional and, although bigger, we are likely to occupy fewer but better quality spaces. I’m convinced this is not a bad thing. Indeed, there will be many opportunities for us in the future; now is the time to grasp these and shape the central agenda for the benefit of our communities and, ultimately, the country as a whole.
This government has prioritised apprenticeships over almost every other educational route. Isn’t technical education our traditional heartland? This is a huge opportunity to be front and centre of employer engagement and skills for prosperity. And while the apprenticeship levy has its issues, giving employers a direct stake in the quality and delivery of their training can only be good for colleges and our already-excellent relationships with businesses. We should be the hub for employer engagement. The foundations are there - we simply need to build on them.
Area reviews will result in larger colleges that are strategically better-placed to work with political leaders, businesses and communities, while also bringing greater coherence to post-16 provision that in some areas is distinctly lacking. We will be able to develop our higher-level skills offer to deliver what our economy needs, with the flexibility to diversify our income so we are less reliant on government funding and more able to develop true centres of excellence for vocational specialisms. But we will need to put institutional protectionism to one side and look at what is best for the communities we serve rather than what is best for us. By aligning ourselves with devolved local authorities, we can secure our place at the heart of local prosperity and skills.
The reform of technical and professional education announced last week also has some issues - the biggest being the demand from employers for the volume of apprenticeships needed. However, if we can create a model of vocational education that is the envy of the world, surely that is a positive for colleges? In his speech to the CBI business lobby group on Monday, the prime minister outlined his vision for a world where young people choose either an apprenticeship or university, with both routes delivering the high-quality education and training to enable our country to compete in a global economy. In countries where true parity of esteem like this exists, colleges are seen as equal to schools and universities. This could see us finally achieve the same.
The current reforms are perhaps the most significant since incorporation - but was incorporation bad for colleges? I’m sure there aren’t many who would argue for a return to pre-incorporation days. Freeing colleges from local authority control empowered them to become the responsive, flexible and innovative institutions they are today. Maybe these reforms hold the same opportunities for us, provided we take them. I am not naïve enough to think that all of this will simply happen; we will need to work more closely with employers to ensure our offer aligns with their needs, while also striving harder than ever to make our voice heard at local and national level.
There will always be things that could be improved. But if we constantly expect perfection, we will always be disappointed. Let’s see this as an opportunity rather than a threat, and make ourselves an essential component of UK growth, skills and prosperity.
Perhaps then we will be seen as the star pupil rather than the naughty child.
Dame Asha Khemka DBE is principal and chief executive of West Nottinghamshire College. She tweets at @DameAsha
